Best AI Tools for Designers
Modern AI tools have made it possible to have an experienced yet affordable designer available on-demand for all of us. Better yet, instead of paying a small fortune for this privilege, you can “get away” with a few dollars per month.
But worry not my friend, in many cases – this AI designer can produce equally great results as a human could.
This is because AI algorithms have been trained on great work, and so – they are able to replicate it in a way that still generates the original work.
The best part is that there are all kinds of AI designers covering different use cases and even industries. Here are some of the best AI tools for design we’ve been able to try out:
Pixlr by INMAGINE
👍 Pros
👎 Cons
- Great for beginners, it's easy to use
- Results can be rather impressive with just a few clicks
- Background removal tool alone is worth it
- Canva fans may find it limiting (or not offering enough templates)
Pixlr is an AI-powered online photo editing and design platform. It enables everyone to edit photos and create stunning designs in their browser, both on their phones and computer.
You can start from scratch with an empty canvas, a photo, or a video, or select one of Pixlr’s templates. These templates are for things like creating a YouTube banner, Instagram story, resume, brochure, business card, presentation, or a fancy sales pitch.
Basic photo editing aside, Pixlr offers an AI-powered one-click visual creator called Photomash Studio, which can remove backgrounds from your photos. As you would imagine, this feat makes it perfect for creating profile pictures, product images, YouTube thumbnails, and more.
Pixlr also allows you to quickly animate any design using its professional-looking animation presets — or you can tune into advanced options and play with timeline details. Moreover, there is a collage maker that lets you create photo collages which too are paired with fancy templates.
Photo filters are on board as well, allowing you to transform your photos into artistic visuals. There are many options to choose from, spanning effects, overlays, and neat photo borders — helping you create unique, visually striking content.
Finally, if you want to pay extra, Pixlr offers a premium access option that (obviously) goes beyond its free offering, allowing you to explore all the tools, templates, elements, and fonts it has. If you need to frequently create and edit photos, consider giving Pixlr a try.
Framer
👍 Pros
👎 Cons
- Easy to use, allows anyone to create a website
- Even with templates, the process is seamless
- Integrates with third-party tools
- The free plan is pretty much useless and has the Framer banner
Framer is an AI-powered website builder that lets you quickly create a fully functional website from scratch with a simple prompt. It will also generate some example content that you can change afterward.
In addition, the service offers a library of templates you could use if you don’t like what you got with the help of AI. You can also customize every element of the website and make it truly your own.
However, we would add that it is the AI that makes Framer different from competing website builders. A simple prompt like “An iOS to-do app called ToDoMagic” will get you a website that you can fine-tune and have ready for prime time by the end of the day.
Still, if you need more options, they are provided as well. For instance, Framer supports imports from Figma, allowing you to use the design you’ve already created in the popular design tool.
The way we see it, this tool is best suited for making the first draft of a website and then building on top of it.
Designer
👍 Pros
👎 Cons
- Uses the latest DALL-E AI engine from OpenAI
- Free to use, everyone can try it out
- Great for creating social media graphics
- There is no paid plan for those who want to seriously rely on Designer
Microsoft Designer is a web-based, AI-powered design tool powered by OpenAI’s DALL-E technology to help users create visual graphics for social media posts, invitations, digital postcards, graphics, and more.
Instead of drawing all on your own, you can describe the design you’d like to create and let AI do it for you.
Don’t have an idea where to start? No problem – you can select one of the examples provided to generate similar designs. These examples also include prompts, so you know how they are created.
But wait, there’s more. Microsoft Designer also supports animations, albeit in a limited fashion. Still, you will be able to use them on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok or even on your website.
The service is free and increasingly popular, so check it out.
Scenario
👍 Pros
👎 Cons
- A truly time-saving tool for game developers
- Lets them create their own AI for in-game characters
- Can sing along Unity or be integrated directly in the game
- It is a tool made for professionals (not a bug, though)
Scenario is an online tool that allows users to craft unique and style-consistent game assets with custom-trained AI models.
As such, this isn’t the tool for an average user, myself included. Instead, it’s meant for game developers who could use it to give their studios “AI superpowers.”
These “superpowers” enable them to train and deploy custom-trained models that are style-consistent, fully controllable, and integrated into their workflow. As a result, game developers get to shatter development time and streamline their workflow.
Once these assets are created, game developers can integrate them with the Scenario GenAI Engine API — which works with game engines like Unity or can be integrated directly with the games themselves.
Obviously, this isn’t a free service, but Scenario does offer a free trial so that you (presuming you’re a game developer) can test it out before spending a dime of your hard-earned money.
Homestyler AI Designer
👍 Pros
👎 Cons
- Easy to use, with just a few steps to follow
- Find the style that you like
- Support for different rooms
- You may still need the professional to get the actual work done
Part of the more extensive Homestyler package, Homestyler AI Designer lets everyone design his/her room with ease.
To get started, you have to an image of your room, select the style you want and the room type (i.e., living room, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, or office) — and see the magic taking place in front of your eyes.
In a matter of seconds, you’ll get an idea of what you’re room could look like, provided you have enough money to turn that photo into reality. But that’s another story.
You can even set the number of designs for Homestyler AI Designer to generate for you, and I see no good reason why you wouldn’t go for the higher number. This part of the service is free.
The more extensive Homestyler product is also available in a free tier, but that option is rather limited. Running such services costs real money, you know.
What can you do with AI tools for design?
As noted above, AI tools for design cover different use cases and could thus be used for different purposes. For instance, you could use them for:
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Logo design
You can tell AI what your company, product or service is all about – and have it generate a logo for your offering. The underlying algorithm relies on best practices to produce a memorable logo. Better yet, many AI tools for logo design will also get you a complete brand package that includes business card design, social media graphics, letterheads, and more.
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Web design
AI tools for web design can help you quickly create visually appealing website designs. You’ll get to choose between different layouts, color schemes, and typography combinations to get to the perfect web page – or an entire website.
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Interior design
Or you may want to use AI to help you with your home or room renovation. There are tools that will serve that purpose as well, generating various furniture layouts, color combinations, and decor options. You will have to input the dimensions of the room, style preferences, and a few other details – and let AI do the rest.
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Marketing materials
AI can also help you design all kinds of marketing materials, both for online and offline use. You can use these sorts of tools to create flyers, business cards, posters and other printed materials – as well as social media graphics, headings for your website, and more.
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Video game design
Last but not the least, AI can also help video game developers design elements such as characters (in 3D), environments, and objects. As a result, games get to be produced more quickly and/or with more characters.
AI tools are already being used to streamline the design process, enabling more users to generate high-quality graphics for different use cases. Try them out and see what can you do with these tools. It’s fun.